Imagine losing your home or livelihood due to a flood. Going hungry because of a failed harvest or drought. Or being forced to flee your home due to extremely high temperatures, rising sea levels or a lack of clean drinking water.
This is the potential stark reality for us Maltese who live on the frontlines of the climate crisis. For us, climate change should be real, and it is happening now. And as the threat of climate change increases globally, the risks for us multiply and become more evident.
Climate change knows no borders. In the coming years, we seriously risk being forcibly displaced by weather-related events, such as floods, storms and extreme temperatures. In other words, we could easily end up being 'climate refugees'.
The term "climate refugees" has been used since 1985, when UN Environment Programme (UNEP) expert Essam El-Hinnawi defined climate refugees, also called climate or environmental migrants, as people who have been "forced to leave their traditional habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of marked environmental disruption."
It is easy to see how unlivable conditions in our home country caused by extreme weather can lead us to cross borders as climate refugees. Actually, the definition 'climate refugees' should apply to a much broader range of people. Namely, anyone who is impacted by disruption in their society that could somehow directly or indirectly be related to short- or long-term change in the environment.
This means acknowledging that climate change does not just pose a threat by causing immediate harm to people and infrastructure; it is also a long-term danger that can slowly destabilise our society and economy. Take, for instance, sea-level rise. Over the past 30 years, the number of people living in coastal areas at high risk of rising sea levels has increased.
The situation is made worse as climate risks are interconnected and can cause a domino effect. When temperatures rise in our country (as they have done many times with record-breaking episodes), for instance, it can reduce water availability and water quality. This may increase the spread of disease and raise the likelihood of drought, leading to crop failures that will reduce incomes and food supplies. All this can potentially lead to social disruption and political instability.
The good news is that both our government and opposition have started to recognise climate change as an issue that needs to be tackled. Recognition and a few legislative measures, together with a few incentive schemes, are not enough.
What else can our leaders do to counter these multiple future challenges brought about by climate change? It may be hard to swallow for us Maltese who have now gotten used to, willingly or not, harbouring and accepting asylum refugees, but the stark reality staring us in the face is that it may not be long before we imminently risk ending up as 'climate refugees'.
There is no clear definition of a 'climate refugee', nor are climate refugees covered by the 1951 Refugee Convention. The latter covers only people who have a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion and who are unable or unwilling to seek protection from their home countries. This means that climate cannot currently be cited as a reason for seeking asylum or refugee status, although the 2018 Global Compact for Migration, in its second objective, cites climate as a potential reason for migration. While the EU has not formally recognised 'climate refugees', it has expressed growing concern and has taken action to support and develop resilience in countries most vulnerable to climate-related stress.
Occasionally, the term 'environmental refugee or migrant' has been used instead of 'climate refugee'. Nevertheless, the term 'migrant' might not always be considered appropriate, as it suggests a degree of volition in the decision to move. On the other hand, the use of the term and status of 'refugee' to describe people in this situation has subsequently been criticised, primarily because the term has a specific legal meaning in the context of the 1951 Refugee Convention and international refugee law. One of the most recent terms to have gained popularity is 'environmentally/climate displaced person'.
Leaving such legal sophisms apart, it is time to start critically thinking about how to plan for and ensure protection for us Maltese if and when we end up in a situation that qualifies us as 'climate refugees'.
Take, for example, the groundbreaking agreement signed between Australia and Tuvalu. It is one that will initially allow up to 280 Tuvaluans to go to Australia each year. Tuvalu has a population of 11,000, and its low-lying atolls make it particularly vulnerable to global warming. It is a commitment to provide a special pathway for citizens of Tuvalu to go to Australia, with access to Australian services that will enable human mobility with dignity. It was an acknowledgment that Australia was part of the Pacific family.
It is no exaggeration if we were to start now negotiating with neighbouring countries and the EU itself, which would guarantee us human mass mobility with dignity in the event of severe climate change consequences reaching our islands. After all, Malta is part of the 'European' family. Yet, we could also consider some basics besides fighting climate change as a priority.
One way to tackle climate migration is to create economic opportunity in a Maltese society threatened by environmental change. The salinity of farmland is on the increase. But we could emulate Bangladesh farmers who have been taught to grow salt-tolerant crops, including potatoes, carrots, cabbages and coriander.
If we fail to act now, we will easily end up being "the world's forgotten victims."
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer